Transformational and Strategic Leadership

Abstract 

Leadership can take different forms. An individual leader is able to choose the best fitting leadership style, depending on the envelopment they are working. Transformational leadership is one of the recognized forms in the current world, as will be discussed in work below. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the transformational leaders. King’s work of transforming the lives of the black people will be discussed below. The paper will also address Steve Jobs as a strategic leader. The strategies and tactics that Steve used in promoting the success of the Apple Company will be described. The work will also compare the differences, similarities, advantages, and disadvantages between transformational and strategic leadership. Each leader will be shown how they succeed in their fields using their chosen leadership style. 

Key words: leadership, strategic leadership, transformational leadership 

  Introduction 

Transformational leadership is one of the most engaging leadership theories. The theory states that the leader engages the team intending to identify their weaknesses, designs a vision, and guides the team towards achieving it. The model involves the team in full range and inspires the team towards achieving the goals of the team. On the other hand, strategic leadership forms a vision and encourages the team to engage in the execution of tasks that will achieve the said goal. There are various similarities and differences in these theories. The differences arise from the way these two theories have been applied in various capacities and the successes of both in various fields. Transformational and strategic leadership are both important leadership styles that are applicable in various situations and are important in achieving organizational goals. 

Historic leaders of Choice 

Numerous historical characters, like the revolutionary Martin Luther King Junior (MLK Jr) (1929-1968) and the business man Steve Jobs (1955-2011), applied these leadership styles in various degrees. The leadership style of MLK Jr. can be defined as transformational leadership, while that of Jobs can be defined as Strategic. MLK Jr. was mostly involved with inspiring and leading his team to achieve the goals of transformation for Blacks during the age of the black revolution. On the other hand, Jobs set the goals and inspired his people to work to achieve them with considerable involvement. The two leaders did not use these leadership styles exclusively but sometimes combined both, realizing success in different proportions. This essay is going to analyze these two leadership styles: Transformational leadership and Strategic leadership. Then, a comparison and contrast will be done, with emphasis on the advantages and the disadvantages of each style. Then, the application of these theories will be analyzed with reference to the persons of MLK Jr. and Steve Job.  

Transformational Leadership 

Transformation leadership theory was developed by James MacGregor Burns in 1978. The concept was further developed by Bernard M. Bass in 1985 as a leadership style that emphasizes on inspiring, associating with and improving the followers’ attitude and perceptions, which in turn helps them make them attain their fullest potential (McCallaghan, Jackson, & Heyns, 2019). The most important component of a transformational leader is the set of ideals that they stick to and use as the values that motivates their followers to work for better outcomes. Transformation leaders demonstrate great orientation towards seeking change. They believe that the implementation of effective values is important in increasing organizational or social commitment and satisfaction.  

Transformational leadership factors are the forefront knowledge base that are essential in any organization. The four factors of transformational leadership include; idealism, influence, intellectual stimulation through rhetoric, and considering individual needs as well as inspiring the masses. Ideals    are displayed on the leaders’ ability to share vision and ideal living with their followers and improve their relations with them. Intellectual stimulation is achieved through the use of rhetoric that are repetitive to ensure the understanding or grasp of the basic ideas (McCallaghan, Jackson, & Heyns, 2019). 

These leaders also consider their individual followers and follow and share in their activities. Motivation results in the followers reach future goals through the use of confidence, determination, and a high-performance standard. 

Strategic leadership 

Strategic leadership is a concept of managerial wisdom, adaptive capacity, and inspiring change. Strategic leaders are visionary and seek to transform the organizations which they engage with. They integrate charisma and humility, thus making them less provocative or aggressive. However, they are very through and require high standards of discipline and excellence. They are also socially intelligent since they want to inspire action in an environment where everyone is wise in their way. Managerial wisdom is the sense of being aware of social relations, intuition, and environmental perception. Being adaptive in leadership is the ability to get used to change. It is being culturally competent.  

Different approaches of strategic leadership have been established in various literature. The first approach gives strategic leaders three basic dimensions that include guidance, streamlining, and strengthening an organization. The first dimension is “to guide,” the organization’s in terms of its mission and vision. The second is to “streamline,” the organization’s outlines, structure, and system of the organization (Moreno & Ortega, 2019). The third and last dimension is “to strengthen,” which is to increase human productivity and potential. Another approach  

Similarities and Differences  

Differences  

Transformation and strategic leadership differ in many aspects. First, transformational leaders are likely to be found in any position with an organization structure, while strategic leaders are mostly found at the top hierarchy like CEO or the president. Secondly, when the implementation of a vision is required, transformational leaders depend on a team of experts to fulfil their visions while strategic leaders spearhead the implantation of the solutions. Thirdly, in comparison, strategic leadership is about intelligence, while transformational leadership is about influence and being able to inspire a multitude (Moreno & Ortega, 2019). Strategic leaders need to have intellectual stimulation in capturing the attention of the followers to change their perception of certain notions.  

Similarities 

First, both leadership concepts are distinguished by ethical dimensions. Leadership roles are defined by a moral dimension. Secondly, in both transformational and strategic leadership, the follower and the leader are expected to have high ethical aspiration and conduct. The leaders need to show a good example and inspire confidence in the followers. Moral dimension in transformational leadership helps followers realize self-actualization and achievements over and above self-interest for the benefit of the organization. Similarly, strategic leaders are defined by moral and ethical values (Moreno & Ortega, 2019). Lastly, both transformational and strategic leaderships are about capitalizing on the curiosity that drives leaders to find solutions to long standing problems.   

Advantages of Transformational Leadership 

           Transformational leadership has very many advantages. First, it engages the wider audience through rhetoric, which inspires a larger multitude. Secondly, the inspiration that the leaders manage to effect becomes embedded in the follower’s minds, thus effectively gearing the followers towards change. Also, Transformational leadership demands charisma and proper command of the language of motivation. Employees or followers associate these elements with goodness and are more likely to trust the organization or the individual. It thus makes the creation of new visions simple and enthusiasm for the job. Transformational leadership also demands the understanding of the more extensive social system or the organization so that when a misconduct is being discussed, everyone understands its causes and effects. Furthermore, transformational leaders are better communicators, and that is how they are able to deliver their captivating messages to their audience (Moreno & Ortega, 2019). Through their communication, they are able to raise that morale of their followers. Lastly, due to the fact that transformational leaders must rely on ethics, the outcome of their influence are also ethical. 

Disadvantages of Transformational Leadership 

The major disadvantage is that transformational leaders need to constantly remind their followers the importance of their visions. Secondly, they also rely on positive feedback from their followers to be inspired to continue their missions. Thirdly, they command agreement with their message, which, in the instances that they messages may inspire anarchy, becomes dangerous (Moreno & Ortega, 2019). Also, transformational leaders must focus on individual needs, which makes their work difficult in a diversified community. 

Pros of Strategic Leadership 

First, strategic leaders are good decision makers and, therefore, good business persons if they are able to identify exploitable opportunities. Strategic leaders are also sensitive to the implementation of their strategies. They demand for excellence, and high-risk taking makes their returns significantly high in the event that they are right. Strategic leaders are also objective oriented and base most of their decision on careful analysis of the existing situations (Moreno & Ortega, 2019). They thus provide organizations with direction and vision. 

Cons of Strategic Leadership 

First, strategic leadership goals are difficult to implement since they originate from a particular individual. Also, to be a strategic leader, one must be highly intelligent and risk taking, which risks the entire process in case their visions backfire. Strategies also need careful planning, research, deep knowledge of the field of interest, and resources (Moreno & Ortega, 2019). The implementation of strategies also consume time, since in most cases, they are based on trials and new ventures. 

Martin Luther King Jr. as a Transformational Leader 

MLK Jr. was an exceptional leader. His exceptional style is not measured on his achievements alone, but on how he managed to challenge the status quo and be at one with his followers. According to Rodriguez (2016), Luther challenged the common convenience of doing things and explored new ways, and after that, he inspired his followers to do use this method to achieve the desired objective. MLK was mainly concerned about democracy, establishment of brotherhood bonds between the Whites and the poor, non-violence, and racial justice. His letter from Birmingham jail shows as a man who was interested in unearthing the root causes rather than examining the results of oppression ( McGuire & Hutchings, 2007) . He urged the world to view the struggles that the Black Men were facing from his perspective. During the bus boycott, he mobilized the people to act kindly and pursue action peacefully by avoiding using the buses, rather than violent protests. Thanks to his efforts, many people realized that taxis were a better alternative and could optionally meet their locomotive needs. Luther travelled to places that his followers had been harassed for non-violent protests and encouraged them. For example, in the Bloody Sunday incident of (Branch 1988), his efforts managed to keep the spirits of his supporters alive and continue with their quest for social reforms.  

           As a transformational leader, MLK took time to empathize with his followers and share their grief, encouraging every individual follower to remain steadfast in their faith. The deep empathy from MLK can be attributed to his Christian beliefs, which were founded on non-violence and turning the other cheek rather than seeking justice through the same ways that brought the mistreatment in the first place (Burrow, 2018). As a tenured preacher, King had a knack on preaching and giving powerful rhetoric which still reverberate to this date. King, not only revolutionized how violence was handled, but added another layer on the interpretation of faith and perseverance. He led rallies and spoke directly to the oppressed. He did not believe he was influential enough from a distance and appreciated that his presence was very important in inspiring a multitude to uphold the mantra that he preached and proceed by doing good where bad was done, and seeking justice in the right way where injustice was violently done on them ( McGuire & Hutchings, 2007) .  

           Also, King had articulated visions that, in his interpretation, were achievable only through the collaboration of his followers. Rodriguez 2016 describes King as a “lawed, fallible, and limited in his control over the mass movements with which he was associated” (par. 6). However, in this description, he confirms that Luther was a great and visionary leader who set his goals that he believed could be achieved, in his lifetime or beyond. The 1963 “I have a dream” speech is always cited as one of the greatest speeches of the 20th Century, with great impact even to the 21st Century transformational leaders (“Martin Luther King: I Have a Dream”, 2013). In his Speech, he emphasized the cooperation of the White and the Black Men towards achieving a just society where the ‘inalienable rights’ of every American, as described in the US constitution, would not be violated. He emphasized on equal treatment of all races in America and more so, stated that these dreams could be achieved in his time, and his children would benefit from the achievements. Perhaps, this speech and his dreams, which are greatly enjoyed in the modern times, best demonstrate how a transformational leader Martin Luther King Jr. was.  

           Lastly, King became a role model to many. Almost 50 years after his assassination, King remains the most recognized figure in leadership history. His influence has been noted in many successful leaders, including the 44th President of America, Barack Obama. King transformed his followers, who intern swayed the course of history. His lectures and speeches form important contextual references in leadership courses, in both secular and faith-based institutions (Burrow, 2018). His inspiration traversed geographies, inspiring leaders in America, and beyond. His importance in American history is not significant to the blacks only but has also affected the White men, signifying success and achievement of his dreams ( McGuire & Hutchings, 2007) .  

Steve Jobs as a Strategic Business Leader 

           Steve Jobs is one of the renowned business leaders in the world. His brand, Apple, continues to thrive despite his absence from the industry. Jobs succumbed to cancer in (). Nevertheless, the business community cannot mention strategic leadership without mentioning Jobs.  

First, Jobs was able to apply his strategic vision of innovation in the right time, which saved Apple from going bankrupt in the early 1990s. Under the leadership of Jobs, the iconic iPod was created in 2001. About six years later, Jobs struggled to compress the famous Macintosh brand to fit a handset, which he successfully launched in 2007 to a huge success. Jobs did not stop there as in 2010; the legendary iPad was launched. Jobs’ strategy can be seen in the spacing of the launch of these brands. Jobs was aware that continual development and innovation was the key to staying afloat in business. He employed his admirable charisma to his advantage, attracting investors and growing Apple, making it among the top five Fortune Companies in the World.  

Secondly, Jobs strategic leadership was evidenced by his involvement by Pixar. As it is known, Jobs acquired Pixar graphics from Lucasfilm in 1986. Patricia Sellers, in 2011 reported in the Fortune Magazine that Jobs liked to experiment with things that other people thought would not work. After acquiring Pixar for a mere $10 million, Pixar became a world-wide success in making animated films such as the Toy Story franchise (1995-2019), UP (2009) and Wall-E (2008), among others. In 2006, Jobs sold Pixar at a record $7.6 billion to Disney, making a huge profit for himself. Sellers further quotes Lucas, the head of Lucasfilm, stating that “Jobs leaves us with a key career lesson: For any entrepreneur or corporate executive if they don’t love the product and love the job–if they’re not passionate–it doesn’t work long-term.” (Sellers, par. 3). Jobs thus was strategic and a risk-taker. He managed to turn his enthusiasm for risk-taking into a large conglomerate that affects the world up to date. 

Jobs also proved his strategic thinking when he returned to Apple in 1997 after a 2-years expulsion and managed to revive the company to great success. Before his return, Apple is reported to have been facing “illogical agenda of launching products without clearly defined purpose” (pg. 8). His return was followed by the slogan “think different” which was evident in the way he was thinking. He launched the company’s new website (www.apple.com/store) in November 10, 1997, and followed with various brands such as iMac (1998), Powermac G3, and iBook (1999). The records soared up, ranking at $301 million in 1998 and a record of $601 in 1999. Jobs was dedicated to his new comeback, launching the iTunes in 2001 and MacOX the same year. According to Jobs, it was either “Change or Die,” and his second return confirmed that either, a business had to change or die. The strategic innovation of Jobs has been continually employed in developing and re-inventing the iPhone brand every year.  

From these brief applications of strategy and innovation that resulted in these accomplishments, it can be deduced that Jobs was a visionary, opportunistic and strategic leader who thought differently, thus inspiring his team to act accordingly, and finally achieving great heights. Apple has since become the world’s most valuable technology company, overcoming Microsoft, in 2010. Jobs was able to overcome challenges, maintain high work ethics, demanded accountability, and excellence. He was poor at delivering criticisms, thus making him a darling to many. Jobs thought from the perspective of the customer, which is the best strategy for strategic leaders in business. Jobs stood by his unpopular decisions, welcomed criticism, allowed flexibility, and was personally involved in every aspect of his company during his tenure as the chief executive officer of Apple. Jobs absence has been linked with the poor performance of Apple in recent years. However, Apple remains one of the most successful companies in the world, with credits to the strategic and visionary Steve Jobs. 

Conclusion 

In summary, transformational and strategic leadership are both important leadership styles that are applicable in various situations and are important in achieving organizational goals. Luther and Jobs applied these strategies to great success. Jobs was a visionary, a risk-taker, and aspired success. He inspired his team to make decisions that transformed Apple as an organization, giving it a great success in a short period of time. The major strength of strategic theory is the ability to embrace change by formulating and implementing strategies that translate to profits. On the other hand, King, as a transformational leader, inspired his follower, empathized with them, challenged the status quo, and redefined the definition of leadership. Both transformational and strategic leadership theories are important for the advancement of an organization. Leaders ought to apply these forms of leadership, alongside others in the situation that best fits.  

References 

Branch, T. (1988).  America in the King years . New York: Simon and Schuster. 

Burrow, R. (2018). Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ethical Leadership.  Telos ,  2018 (182), 11-28. doi: 10.3817/0318182011 

Martin Luther King | "I Have A Dream" Speech. (2013). Retrieved 9 February 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I47Y6VHc3Ms 

McCallaghan, S., Jackson, L., & Heyns, M. (2019). Transformational leadership, diversity climate, and job satisfaction in selected South African companies.  Journal Of Psychology In Africa ,  29 (3), 195-202. doi: 10.1080/14330237.2019.1619994 

McGuire, D., & Hutchings, K. (2007). Portrait of a transformational leader: the legacy of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.  Leadership & Organization Development Journal . 

Moreno Freites, Z., & Pérez Ortega, G. (2019). Model of relationship of transformational leadership and university management.  DYNA ,  86 (210), 9-16. doi: 10.15446/dyna.v86n210.78035 

Rodriguez, R. (2016). The Transformational Leader – Martin Luther King Jr. | PSY 532: Foundations of Leadership (Clarke). Retrieved 9 February 2020, from https://sites.psu.edu/leaderfoundationsclarke/2016/06/05/the-transformational-leader-martin-luther-king-jr/ 

Sellers, P. (2011). George Lucas on Steve Jobs. Retrieved 9 February 2020, from https://fortune.com/2011/10/06/george-lucas-on-steve-jobs/